Table 1 Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation for the United States: 2012

Estimates are based on preliminary data from the 2012 Commodity Flow Survey. Because of rounding, estimates may not be additive

Mode of transportation

2012 Value
(million $)

Value (Percent of Total)

2012 Tons
(thousands)

Tons (Percent of Total)

2012 Ton–miles (1)
(millions)

Ton-miles (Percent of Total)

2012 Average miles per shipment

Value CV (2)

Standard Error for Value (Percent of Total)

Tons CV

Standard Error for Tons (Percent of Total)

Ton-miles CV

Standard Error for Ton-miles (Percent of Total)

Average miles per shipment CV

All modes

13,625,059

100.0

11,695,463

100.0

3,319,666

100.0

586

1.0

0.0

1.2

0.0

3.9

0.0

1.4

Single modes

11,778,787

86.4

11,276,799

96.4

3,008,635

90.6

254

1.2

0.2

1.3

0.2

4.6

1.3

3.6

Truck (3)

10,038,086

73.7

8,190,126

70.0

1,264,346

38.1

216

1.3

0.4

0.9

0.6

1.2

1.5

4.2

For-hire truck

6,609,327

48.5

4,390,790

37.5

1,071,878

32.3

489

1.6

0.4

1.4

0.5

1.4

1.3

3.8

Private truck

3,428,759

25.2

3,799,335

32.5

192,468

5.8

46

1.2

0.3

1.7

0.6

2.2

0.2

2.7

Rail

455,114

3.3

1,851,276

15.8

1,477,623

44.5

811

2.1

0.1

5.7

0.8

9.4

2.5

6.4

Water

280,916

2.1

510,654

4.4

208,316

6.3

842

7.3

0.2

5.7

0.2

10.8

0.7

9.9

Inland water

202,245

1.5

374,186

3.2

113,609

3.4

323

9.5

0.1

6.4

0.2

11.0

0.4

10.0

Great Lakes

443

Z

23,518

0.2

9,861

0.3

385

26.5

Z

14.7

Z

17.1

0.1

8.0

Deep sea

54,999

0.4

63,268

0.5

26,834

0.8

976

11.3

Z

14.0

0.1

20.4

0.2

11.9

Multiple Waterways

23,229

0.2

49,682

0.4

58,012

1.7

1,301

36.5

0.1

24.9

0.1

32.0

0.6

17.5

Air (includes truck and air)

397,445

2.9

4,676

Z

6,341

0.2

1,229

6.4

0.2

16.0

Z

19.2

Z

9.0

Pipeline (4)

607,227

4.5

720,067

6.2

S

S

S

7.8

0.3

8.2

0.5

S

S

S

Multiple modes

1,844,241

13.5

347,784

3.0

310,752

9.4

880

1.1

0.2

4.9

0.2

13.4

1.3

1.5

Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier

1,578,261

11.6

26,747

0.2

20,581

0.6

879

2.0

0.3

1.6

Z

2.0

Z

1.5

Truck and rail

230,518

1.7

224,267

1.9

216,306

6.5

1,004

7.0

0.1

5.9

0.1

17.7

1.1

12.0

Truck and water

27,843

0.2

48,266

0.4

47,890

1.4

1,818

11.0

Z

12.7

0.1

32.4

0.5

8.4

Rail and water

7,426

0.1

48,185

0.4

25,448

0.8

663

27.6

Z

24.5

0.1

24.4

0.2

19.5

Other multiple modes

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Other modes

2,030

Z

70,880

0.6

279

Z

2

26.8

Z

19.3

0.1

27.5

Z

30.3

KEY:
S - Estimate does not meet publication standards because of high sampling variability or poor response quality.
Z - Less than half the unit shown. For the 2012 CFS, represents an estimate that is between zero and half the unit shown, thus, has rounded down to zero.

(1) Ton–miles estimates are based on estimated distances traveled along a modeled transportation network.
(2) Coefficient of Variation.
(3) "Truck" as a single mode includes any shipment that was made by private truck only, by for-hire truck only, or by a combination of private and for-hire truck.
(4) Estimates for pipeline exclude shipments of crude petroleum.

NOTE: These data are preliminary and are subject to change; they will be superseded by data released in later reports. Value-of-shipment estimates have not been adjusted for price changes. Estimated measures of sampling variability for each estimate known as coefficients of variation (CV) are also provided in these tables.
More information on sampling error, confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, sample design, and definitions may be found at http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/co....

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Economic Census: Transportation Commodity Flow Survey, Preliminary Release, December 2013.